IRISH water is to invest
?¬7.3 million in wastewater infrastructure at a Northside beach.
Last month, Northside People reported that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Bathing Water Quality in Ireland report identified Rush South Beach as having poor water quality.
It was one of only seven bathing waters in the country, and the only one in Dublin, to be classified with this status.
This significant investment will provide a new system to collect and transfer wastewater from existing outfalls and overflows to the foreshore and onwards to the new wastewater treatment plant at Portrane.
The project in Rush, involving extensive pipelines and new pumping stations is already at detailed design stage with the tender process beginning shortly.
Irish Water expects that work will get underway in Rush in mid 2016 and take approximately two years to complete.
The project will complete a major scheme in this area, which has already diverted wastewater flow from Lusk to the Portrane plant since 2012.
Jerry Grant, Head of Asset Management at Irish Water, said the investment would address longstanding problems with bathing water quality in the area.
“The EPA report highlights the need for a national water utility that can approach the obvious deficits in our wastewater treatment infrastructure in a strategic way,
? said Mr Grant.
“It is not acceptable in a modern economy that so many of our towns are discharging raw sewage directly into the environment.
“Irish Water is targeting those most in need of investment as our top priority to protecting the environment and allow for growth.
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The water quality report, monitored during the 2014 bathing water season, reflects the many issues which can contaminate beach areas, including direct sewage discharge, diluted sewage discharge from overflows in wet weather as well as contaminated agricultural and other catchment runoff.
Irish Water projects are already underway to bring all seven sites named in the report up to the required standards as soon as possible.
Mr Grant added:
“Notwithstanding the information provided in the EPA report and the firm commitment of Irish Water to upgrade and operate our wastewater treatment plants to the highest standards, it is worth acknowledging that Irish bathing waters continue to be among the best in northern Europe.
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Alan Farrell, a Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, said it is in the interest of the whole community that this
“crucial
? work takes place to protect our natural resources.
“It is simply not good enough that local people continue to be concerned about swimming at this wonderful beach,
? he said.
“I look forward to an improvement in the water quality in Rush once this vital work is completed.
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